I’ve gotta say, Disney does great pools.  There were so many to choose from that deserved to be mentioned.  I have been hard pressed to find a resort that didn’t have at least one quality pool.  That made this month’s Kill Refurb Marry on Disney resort pools harder than most because of a lack of truly poor pools.  If you’ve read one of these before, you know that once a month we write about a topic and pick three examples – one that we want to get rid of (kill), one we think needs some improvement (refurb), and one that we absolutely love!  Now I haven’t been to even half of all the pools out there, so I’ll be curious to see what other bloggers write about, but for me these are my picks.

Kill – This one was easy. Probably the most lackluster pool in all of the Disney resorts is the Bowling Pool at Pop Century.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I love staying at Pop Century!  It’s my favorite value resort by far (although I have not stayed at Art of Animation Resort yet).  But that pool is so completely boring it makes me yawn thinking about it.  It’s basically just a pool.  Sure it’s shaped like a bowling pin, but really who cares?  If it were me, I would get rid of it completely and start all over.  Replace it with a pool party theme with big beach balls, floaties, and a bar but for the kiddies with soda and juice and stuff.  Put umbrella tables out there with lawn chairs and make it like a backyard party. Not a refurb because really there’s nothing about it I would keep. I would definitely replace it with another pool, but you need to demolish this one.

Refurb – I am so at a loss as to what “pool” should get a refurb, I decided to cheat just a little and say the Elephant bathing pool on Jungle Cruise.  I love the Jungle Cruise, but given all the other amazing refurbs that Disney has done over the years, this classic ride definitely deserves more than just an updated queue.  Sure, Jingle Cruise is a cute idea for the holidays, but certainly they can do more to spice up this attraction than a once-a-year layover.

Marry – Too many good pools! But as awesome as every other pool is, to me there is one clear winner – Aulani.  If you haven’t been there yet, you need to go if only for the pools.  The pools are so awesome, we stayed poolside instead of going to the beautiful beach waters of the Hawaiian islands.  Rainbows in the morning, charming lights at night, the scenery itself is worth it.  But then they have to go and add a pool where you can swim with tropical fish using a snorkel and a mask (Rainbow Reef – very cold).  Being in the pool while the fish are feeding is an experience everyone should try once.  The water slides (there are two) are both incredibly fun.  Volcanic Vertical takes you straight down into the pool while Tubestone Curl is a twisty-curvy slide that will have you wondering where you are (but so fun).  There is also a lazy river (Waikolohe Stream) where you can swim or tube gently around at a leisurely pace.  And of course the main pool (Waikolohe Pool)  is sprawling and fun.  There are other pools at the resort also but these were our family favorites.

If you enjoyed reading my choices for Disney resort pools, be sure to catch up with other bloggers at Mouse on the Mind!